Some entities in generated DWG are invisible

[mme1950]

I am creating a new CAD document by the following mechanisms

• clone a BlocksRecord from a source document.
• create a new BlockRecord filled with cloned Entities from a dynamic-block state from a source document.
• create a MText entitiy and add it to the documents entity list.

Problems:

• Dimension entities in a cloned block are not visible.
  When I edit the block in AutoCAD I see the Dimension. When I change the style and then reselect the original style and close the block editor, the Dimension becomes visible in the document.
• Multileader entities in a cloned block are not visible.
  When I edit the block in AutoCAD the MultiLeader is invisible. I can select all (Ctrl-A) including the MultiLeader. When I change the style and reselect reselect the original style the MultiLeader becomes visible, after closing the clock editor also in the document.
• A MText created using ACadSharp directly added to document's entities ist invisible.
  I can select the MText, when I try to edit it (context menu) it becomes visible.

Did anyone have the same or similar problems and found a solution?

[mme1950]

Investigation MText

• Create an MText in AutoCAD
• Clone this MText using ACadSharp -> The cloed MText is visible in AutoCAD
• Create an MText using ACadSharp, set DrawingDirection = LeftToRight and TextHeight -> The Created MText is invisible in AutoCAD
  Editing the MText in AutoCAD makes the MText visible.
  The MText property grid in AutoCAD does not show any difference.
• Comparing all Properties exposed by ACadSharp of the MText created by AutoCAD and the MText created by ACadSharp shows a difference of the property AlignmentPoint (0,0,0).
• Set AlignmentPoint to (1,0,0) -> MText becomes visible in AutoCAD.

@DomCR Should we initialize DrawingDirection and AlignmentPoint?

[mme1950]

Investigation Dimension

• Dimensions created by AutoCAD added to the document's entities are visible in AutoCAD. The Dimension's Block property is null.
• Dimensions that ere members of a cloned BlockRecords are not visible in AutoCAD. The Dimension's Block property is null.
• Edit the inserted BlockRecord in AutoCAD: change style and restore previous style of the Dimension, Then save the blockRecord. The Dimension becomes visible.
• Comparing all Properties exposed by ACadSharp of the Dimension before and after it was edited shows a difference; The Dimension's Block property is set.
• If the document is saved with no changes and opened in AutoCAD again, the Dimensions are again invisible.

[DomCR]

Hi @mme1950,

Dimensions: this is a known issue, here is more info about it:

• Dimension in a block record does not show on drawing #556
• Dimension in a block record does not show on drawing #557
• Issue 557 dimension block #559

Multileader: I think is a similar issue as the dimensions, the property may be BlockContent? haven't taken a look on this one.

MText: here is a discussion about this:

• MText entities not visible in AutoCAD unless FLATTEN command is used #620
  I'll open a branch to change the defaults and make sure that it works.

Sorry for the delayed answer and thanks for the report.

[mme1950]

Thanks a lot, I am very glad that there is an idea to solve the problem.

MultiLeader:

• As far I understood BlockContent optionally references a block to be dispayed instead of a text label. So this does not correspond to the Dimension.Block property.
• I tried to investigate the MultiLeader problem and found that the MultiLeader created in AutoCAD, opened and saved by ACadSharp and reopened in AutoCAD becomes invisible.
• It may be related to the MultiLeaderStyle, I have to look at it a little closer.

[mme1950]

Hi @DomCR,

I am now using the current version after this merge.

I think there are four issues:

1. The Dimension.Block is always null, when it is set:

		public BlockRecord Block
		{
			get { return this._block; }
			set
			{
				this._block = this.updateTable(this._block, this.Document?.BlockRecords);
			}
		}

should be changed to:

		public BlockRecord Block
		{
			get { return this._block; }
			set
			{
				this._block = this.updateTable(value, this.Document?.BlockRecords);
			}
		}

2. The Block property is not cloned:
   I added this line to the Clone() method

			clone.Block = (BlockRecord)this.Block?.Clone();

3. The reference to the Block is not witten:

			//this._writer.HandleReference(DwgReferenceType.HardPointer, dimension.Block);
			this._writer.HandleReference(DwgReferenceType.HardPointer, null);

			this._writer.HandleReference(DwgReferenceType.HardPointer, dimension.Block);
			//this._writer.HandleReference(DwgReferenceType.HardPointer, null);

4. The BlockRecords must be exclusively related to one Dimension. When dimensions originating from more than one source are to be combined in a new document it must ensured that BlockRecord names are unique.

[mme1950]

When I generate the DWG (Clone a block with Dimension objects) everything seems to be fine. The BlockRecords are in the document and the Dimension.Block property is properly set. But the dimensions are not visible in AutoCAD.

When I open the block editor and save the block the dimensions become visible.
When I view the saved DWG new additonal block records were created ond related to the dimensions.

This may be because two BlockRecords with the same name occurred. I will check that tomorrow.

[mme1950]

Good Morning @DomCR,
I made a change to ensure that each BlockRecord related to a dimension has a unique "*D..." name.
Unfortionately I still do not see the Dimensions in AutoCAD.
When I open and save the BlockRecord in the block editor the dimensions become visble.
New BlockRecords are created and related to the Dimensions.